Allegheny County Encourages Residents to 'Go Green' for the Holidays

Allegheny Green, the county’s comprehensive initiative to promote sustainable practices, is encouraging residents to consider the environment while celebrating the holidays this year.

“Through Allegheny Green, county government is taking steps to responsibly address our environmental impact, such as reducing our energy consumption and increasing our recycling efforts,” said Sustainability Manager Jeaneen Zappa in a press release.

“During the holidays, there are a number of small steps residents can take that will also make a difference, including using LED lights to save electricity and consolidating shopping trips to save gas. I encourage everyone to do what they can to implement sustainable practices during the holiday season.”

Each year, gift wrap and shopping bags turn into more than four million tons of trash, and the 2.65 billion holiday cards sold across the United States could fill a football field 10 stories high according to Recycle Works.

According to the Cygnus Group, only 20 million of the 50 million Christmas trees purchased in the United States are planted or recycled. The other 30 million end up in landfills.

Here are some tips for going green:

• LESS IS MORE—Use less and throw away less stuff. Be mindful of your waste, whether it is paper, food, electricity or something else.
• BUY LOCAL—If your gift is travelling around the world to get to its recipient, it probably used a lot of fuel on its trip. Support local businesses and buy fresh meat and produce from local farmers. For more information on buying local produce and meat, visit www.pasafarming.org.
• SHOP GREEN—When shopping for holiday gifts this season, eco-friendly products should be at the top of everyone's list. Buy organic, recycled, sustainable, reusable and energy efficient products.
• LIMIT PURCHASES WITH EXCESSIVE PACKAGING—Avoid products with excessive packaging, especially disposable ones. Reuse packaging and recycle as much of it as is possible. Visit www.achd.net/recycle/pubs/pdf/RecyclingResourceDirectory_0810.pdf for information.
• RETHINK GIFT WRAP—Rethink how you wrap gifts and get creative by making your own paper, recycling the Sunday comics or reusing last year’s gift wrap, bows and ribbons. Even better, consider wrapping gifts with something reusable, like a new tea towel or package your gift in a re-usable shopping bag tied with a pretty ribbon.
• SPEND TIME, SAVE MONEY—If you are like most people these days, you are too busy and rarely spend enough time with friends and family. This year, give gift certificates that invite friends and family for a homemade meal or for something you know they would appreciate, like babysitting. Try giving the traditional gift of baked goods or arranging a swap of “gently used” items. Ask your friends and families to participate in a philanthropic organization or go caroling to raise money for charity. For local ideas of where to volunteer, visit www.pittsburghcares.org.
• LIGHT UP RIGHT—Get smart about your energy consumption concerning holiday lights. One easy way to decorate with the environment in mind is to purchase LED lights that use 90 percent less energy and are readily available. If you do use lights, put them on a timer to limit energy consumption and limit the size of your display. To reduce your waste during the holidays, think about using homemade displays or painted windows that are backlit from your lights inside.
• BE ENERGY WISE WITH ELECTRONICS—Before purchasing, look up products on the Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR® website, and do not buy items that are not ENERGY STAR-rated. You should be especially careful with some of the newer television screens, which can be heavy electricity users.
• GO ELECTRONIC WITH GREETING CARDS—Send your friends and families e-cards, or if you do buy cards, choose ones printed on recycled paper with vegetable-based ink.
• TURN DOWN THE THERMOSTAT—One of the best ways to reduce your heating consumption is to install a programmable thermostat. If you do not have one, put it on your list for Santa or do it the old-fashioned way by turning down your thermostat when you leave the house or go to bed.
• GET A “GREEN” TREE—Planting a tree is one of the greenest contributions you can make, so buy a tree with its roots and plant it after the holiday season. If you do buy a traditional cut tree, make sure that you recycle it by mulching and composting it after the holiday is over. Allegheny County sponsors a tree recycling program each year. You can drop off your tree at the swimming pool parking lots in Boyce, North, Settler’s Cabin and South parks from Jan. 3 through 22, 2012.
• BE GREENER IN 2012—This coming year, make a resolution to be greener and to protect our Earth. Consider making resolutions that you will actively try to keep and start out simple. Try commuting to work without your car once a week, vowing to take your reusable shopping bags to the grocery story, or always carrying your re-usable water bottle.

Learn more about the county’s green initiatives and sustainability programs at www.alleghenycounty.us/alleghenygreen.